2010 Federal Perspective

NRCS Geospatial StrategyNRCS Geospatial Strategy

Technology Drivers• Use of technology &

Internet by customers• Service oriented

architecture• GIS integration as

“services”

• Availability of data & models

• Business process modeling

• Computing hardware & tools, wireless communication


Business Drivers• Resource limitations• Progress Reporting• Conservation Planning• Federal Enterprise

Architecture• Data Management

Geospatial Challenges• Infrastructure• Planning & Investment• Human Capital

Data Category Only Source Replicated Replacement Value $

NRI Data YES 500 million

Elevation data No 400 million

Soils YES Yes 5 billion

Other vector data No Yes 1 million

Other imagery No 10 million

Failover data No Yes 2 million

Other data No 20 million

300 Tb 5.9 billion

NRCS Geospatial Data Assets More than 300 terabytes of data worth in excess of $5.9 billion.



Risks to NRCS• Duplication of geospatial information and databases• Poor quality or inadequate geospatial information• Inability to access and use geospatial information

across NRCS business lines• Ineffective and unleveraged geospatial investments


Benefits to NRCS• Supports real world decision making and problem

solving• Supports daily business• Facilitates local, regional and National analyses• Revitalizes mapping products and services• Provides a place-based context for scientific studies• Display and share geographic resources


Geospatial Framework Supports Geospatial Line of Business


Optimize & Standardize Geospatial Data, Technology, and Services

1. Establish Authoritative Data Sources and Data Stewards

2. Add value to authoritative data3. Establish data life cycle management, policy, and

services practices4. Optimize the geospatial infrastructure, products, and

services

OUTCOME 1NRCS Geospatial StrategyNRCS Geospatial Strategy

5. Build and implement agile geo-enabled corporate data

6. Establish geospatial standards and corporate solutions

7. Standardize high quality cartographic products


Outcome 2

Enhance Geospatial Governance1. Establish geospatial business requirements

planning process2. Manage the Geospatial Portfolio through

Governance3. Implement geospatial management


Enhance Geospatial Planning and Investment1. Identify NRCS geospatial investment priorities2. Framing investments in the NRCS Geospatial Portfolio3. Geospatial return on investments



What does this mean to NRCS??

• Geospatial data and services will be fully integrated into NRCS’s business processes

• A Conservation Desktop Concept will be implemented to manage workflow and access data and tools

• The use of mobile computing will be institutionalized for conducting resource inventory, analysis, and decision support steps for conservation planning


This new conservation delivery system will be implemented by five cross-cutting initiatives that span organizational lines of responsibility.

The foundation of this will be mobile computing with access to data anywhere and all the time.



So, how does this impact WLIA and NRCS, and other feds, in Wisconsin??

• Institutionalized contracting mechanism for moving funds when partnering with local and state agencies

• A benefit of WLIA to federal agencies would be a method of acquiring statewide datasets such as parcel data

• The fact that the internet infra-structure does not meet the performance needs of data movement and web mapping applications needs to be addressed.

• “Lobbying” to change the sharing policy for certain federal datasets that are not in the public domain. Specifically the CLU.


• How WLIA could change to benefit federal agencies – less emphasis on the county land info system. WLIA needs to integrate the views of municipalities, town, feds, and others more instead of being county-centric.

• Find ways to work better with WIGICC. Both groups have the same fundamental goal of delivering better service to the citizens of Wisconsin at less cost. WLIA as an organization and WLIA membership were critical in identifying the need and establishing the structure for WIGICC. Find better ways to make both organizations successful and assure that we are working together without duplication and waste. There is plenty of work to be done.